Activ8 Theatre offers a range of exciting drama services. Schools, colleges and drama clubs in London and the South East can find workshops to inspire and motivate students. Resource packs full of ideas and practical sessions are available nationwide.

Activ8 Theatre is run by Kerren Garner, an actor, qualified drama teacher and examiner.,  .

WORKSHOPS

Workshops are varied and offer a range of experiences from building up drama skills, exploring different genres, practitioners and texts, through to directing a play. You can choose from the workshops listed or arrange one tailored to your needs. Sessions are organised into recommended ages, but any of them may be suitable for your group depending on experience.

Workshops for ages (8 +)

- Mime

This workshop explores how to use body language to communicate. Using games, exercises and improvisation it will teach students fundamental drama skills such as the use of gesture, posture and facial expression. Students will use techniques such as freeze-frame and put sequences of movements together to tell stories.

- Telling Stories
Students will discover exciting ways of telling stories using both physical and vocal skills. Students will learn how to use and develop movement, freeze-frame, narration, choral speaking and soundscape. They will explore interesting tales of different genres from creation myths to ghost stories.

- The Art of Improvisation
This workshop allows students to use their imaginations whilst exploring different improvisation techniques. The students will use games, exercises and move from spontaneous improvisation to developing their improvisation ideas with a variety of styles, themes and topics.

Workshops for ages (14 +)

- Being the Director

Develop interpretive skills and decide a “Director’s Concept.” Students will explore how using different styles of theatre communicates different meaning to an audience. They will take text and make decisions as to key moments and themes. They will experiment with rehearsal techniques to use with their actors and consider elements such as setting, costume and lighting. This workshop can be arranged around a particular play if desired.

- Developing a Character
Students will look at how to create and develop a variety of characters. This workshop will look at the different approaches an actor can take when creating and developing a role. It will encompass techniques by practitioners such as Stanislavski and Brecht and explore realistic and non naturalistic styles.

- Physical Theatre
Put physical expression at the heart of the performance. The workshop will encourage students to extend their repertoire of movement skills and give them new and exciting ways of communicating with an audience. Students will explore different influences from the comical work of Commedia Dell’ Arte, through to the more disturbing world of Theatre of the Grotesque.

- Devising Theatre
Students look at ways of creating their own piece of theatre. They will work with different stimulus materials such as image, text and music to gain ideas. Students will then experiment with developing those initial ideas using different styles of theatre to find the most effective way of communicating with an audience.

- The Origins of Drama – Greek Theatre

Students will immerse themselves in the world where drama began. They will explore different aspects of Greek theatre looking at the function and performance of the chorus, use of protagonist and antagonist, through to the idea of catharsis for the audience. The workshop will use a number of play texts and will look at how to speak verse effectively as well as including exploration with masks.

- Shakespearean Workshops

There is so much to offer students from the world of Shakespeare. These workshops have been organised so that a number of plays, themes and characters can be explored. Workshops will be pitched at the age range and experience of your group. You can choose to focus on a certain style of text  e.g: Comedy, Tragedy or Magic or focus on one specific text.

- Practitioners

The exploration of different practitioners is a vital and exciting part of study, particularly for students wishing to take drama to a higher level. With these workshops you can decide whether you would like to include a number of Practitioners in the time given or focus on one:
 

• ‘The Method’ - Konstantin Stanislavski
• ‘Alienation’ - Bertolt Brecht
• ‘Cruelty’ - Antonin Artaud
• ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’ - Augusto Boal

RESOURCE PACKS

Resource packs are arranged into key stages and cover a wide drama curriculum. The packs are suitable for key stages 2 and 3 as well as a number of exam boards at GCSE, A/S and A2. They could also be used for BTEC studies.

For more info go to: http://www.activ8theatre.co.uk/resource_packs.htm an actor, qualified drama teacher and examiner."